This free Android app allows you to open two instances of the same app and view them in split-screen mode on a phone. You can also view more than two instances of an app on tablets or other devices with larger screens.

When would you want to view the same app in more than one window? I can think of a few examples:

Open Microsoft Word (or Google Docs) in two windows to copy and paste text quickly between two files, or refer to one for research and use the other for writing.

Keep multiple chat or SMS app windows open at the same time.

View two browser windows side-by-side, maybe to play web video in one, while surfing in the other.

Note that Google Chrome already has native support for that last feature, but many other Android browsers may not.

Parallel Windows for Android is currently described as an experimental alpha version and some apps may not work properly.

For now, only split-screen mode (viewing two windows side-by-side) is officially supported. But if you have a tablet or other device with freeform mode enabled, you can try viewing more than two instances of an app.

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This needs to be built in into the next RemixOS update!

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2 years ago

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digi_owl

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Now for Android-x86 to release with freeform mode enabled…

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2 years ago

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Josh

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Cool. Hopefully, Google integrates this kind of feature into Android.

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2 years ago

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Gee Deezy

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Does it create a unique data store for each instance? The last thing I need is an App writing over the data of a second instance of the same App.

My guess is “No” making this a useless idea for many, many applications.

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2 years ago

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PKJ

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I guess developers will start writing apps with that in mind and fix older ones that don’t already store data properly.

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2 years ago

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mark

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But that’s the problem – given that this is an experimental hack, even if developers are doing it properly, there may well be problems.

Also note that on PC platforms, for non trivial applications the standard practice is to only allow one instance to run, but support multiple windows. It’s much easier to make things work that way, rather then having an application fight with another instance if itself.

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2 years ago

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Gee Deezy

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Agreed. This would only work in the long run if it is sanctioned and built into the OS by Google.